NC Odonate Website

Related Species in CORDULIIDAE:

Number of records for 2025 = 0

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e.g., flight data, high counts, and earliest/latest dates can be seen.
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Umber Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia obsoleta) by Richard Stickney

Compare with: Smoky Shadowdragon Alabama Shadowdragon Stygian Shadowdragon Cinnamon Shadowdragon
Identification Tips: Move the cursor over the image, or tap the image if using a mobile device, to reveal ID Tips.
Note: these identification tips apply to both sexes. Female depicted here.

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Map

Click on county for list of all its records for Umber Shadowdragon

Flight Charts

Distribution

Occurs over nearly all of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, though the range is spotty near the Blue Ridge Escarpment counties and in the extreme eastern Coastal Plain, where possibly absent in a few coastal counties along the Outer Banks. No records for the mountains. The full range of the species is more northerly than most other shadowdragons, extending to Maine.

Abundance

Because of its crepuscular habits, abundance is poorly known, but based on the fact that it has been recorded from the majority of Piedmont and Coastal Plain counties within its range -- thanks mainly to older efforts by Duncan Cuyler -- and with about 145 records with dates available, it is certainly not scarce. Likely uncommon to fairly common in much of its range in NC, though Dunkle (2000) calls it "uncommon" over its range, and Beaton (2007) calls it "probably uncommon to rare" in GA.

Flight

The flight periods in both the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont are similar -- late April to late July or early August.

Habitat

Rivers, typically large and clean; less often at creeks.

See also Habitat Account for General Rivers and Large Streams

Behavior

As with all shadowdragons, adults hang from twigs and vegetation in the forest shade during the day, and emerge to fly only in the last hour of daylight. Males prefer to fly patrols over riffles in the rivers.

Comments

It is surprising that such a secretive dragonfly could be recorded in NC from so many counties -- 55 in total. This is especially striking in comparison with the relatively few county records from neighboring states -- 2 in GA, 4 in SC, and 10 in VA (as of 2016 on the OdonataCentral website map). This must represent intense collecting effort on the part of Duncan Cuyler or others, as it would seem unlikely to be much more numerous in NC than in VA, for example, as the range of the species is centered on these two states.

State Rank

State Status

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Other Name

Species account update: LeGrand on 2021-12-27 15:35:13

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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Photo Gallery for Umber Shadowdragon 17 photos are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: Ken Kneidel Comment: Mecklenburg, 2024-05-10, found dead on a bridge over a large creek		Photo 2 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Chatham, 2021-06-13, Haw River/Jordan Lake interface near Robeson Creek - exuviae collected
	Photo 3 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Chatham, 2021-06-12, Haw River--Bynum Dam - exuviae collected near where adults were seen flying		Photo 4 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Chatham, 2021-06-12, Haw River--Bynum Dam - exuviae collected near where adults were seen flying
	Photo 5 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Durham, 2020-05-23, Penny's Bend - flying and perching in field at midday		Photo 6 by: Ami Thompson Comment: Nash, 2020-04-05, Tar River within Battle Park in Rocky Mount - F-0 nymph was collected on April 5th, it was kept and reared and emerged on April 15th
	Photo 7 by: Ami Thompson Comment: Nash, 2020-04-05, Tar River within Battle Park in Rocky Mount - F-0 nymph was collected on April 5th, it was kept and reared and emerged on April 15th		Photo 8 by: Ami Thompson Comment: Nash, 2020-04-05, Tar River within Battle Park in Rocky Mount - F-0 nymph was collected on April 5th, it was kept and reared and emerged on April 15th
	Photo 9 by: Mike Turner and Randy Emmitt Comment: Chatham, 2018-05-05, White Pines Nature Preserve		Photo 10 by: Conrad Wernett, Alyssa Wernett Comment: Columbus, 2017-05-28, - Male flushed from underbrush and respotted below spillway of Lake Waccamaw
	Photo 11 by: Conrad Wernett Comment: Onslow, 2017-05-26, - Cowhorn Creek landing.		Photo 12 by: Conrad Wernett, Alyssa Wernett Comment: Onslow, 2017-05-19, - Cowhorn Creek landing. More then five seen, a female and male flying separate netted at the same time.
	Photo 13 by: Conrad Wernett, Alyssa Wernett Comment: Onslow, 2017-05-18, - 1 male, 1 female confirmed, several others seen but unable to get positive ID at Cowhorn Creek Landing.		Photo 14 by: Richard Stickney Comment: Durham, 2016-04-26, Penny's Bend
	Photo 15 by: Mike Turner Comment: Wake, 2014-06-02, Lake Raleigh		Photo 16 by: Lori Owenby Comment: Catawba, 2010-06-22, Riverbend Park - Came to mercury vapor light/sheet set up for moths
	Photo 17 by: R. Emmitt Comment: Orange, 2010-05-09. Eno River State Park